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Abuses in the Application of Sharia in Aceh, Indonesia

December 1, 2010

This 89-page report documents the experiences of people accused of violating Sharia laws prohibiting "seclusion" and imposing public dress requirements on Muslims. The "seclusion" law makes association by unmarried individuals of the opposite sex a criminal offense in some circumstances. While the dress requirement is gender-neutral on its face, in practice it imposes far more onerous restrictions on women. The report also details evidence that the laws are selectively enforced – rarely if ever applied to wealthy or politically-connected individuals.